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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27047593">Bleeding In Love</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writing_Waffle/pseuds/Writing_Waffle'>Writing_Waffle</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Voltron: Legendary Defender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood, Established Relationship, F/M, Healing pods, Not Canon Compliant, Romance, Sibling Love, Unpopular pairing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 05:00:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,000</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27047593</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writing_Waffle/pseuds/Writing_Waffle</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"The air was thick with smoke and destruction. Earth laid in shambles, cities crumbled and still crumbling around her. Battleships lined the graying sky. People cried out from somewhere in the distance but there was nothing but ruin for as far as she could see. She took off running in a direction, any random direction, looking for signs of life, any signs of life, of city, of civilization. None stood and she fought back the sob in her throat, sand seeming to scratch as she did so.</p><p>She turned in a helpless circle, whipping her glasses off as they fogged up, smog clinging heavy to the lenses. She stumbled forward, vision blurred from lack of correction and the tears that streaked down her dirty cheeks. The armor that she wore was broken, heavy pieces of plating missing, telling a story of a brave soldier who fought the good fight. She couldn't remember ever being in a battle though and tried to recall who exactly that soldier was. Her knees caved and she fell to the ground, fingers landing in cold (cold?) sand. Her eyes closed as more ships polluted her sky."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Keith/Veronica (Voltron), Lance &amp; Veronica (Voltron)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Bleeding In Love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>The air was thick with smoke and destruction. Earth laid in shambles, cities crumbled and still crumbling around her. Battleships lined the graying sky. People cried out from somewhere in the distance but there was nothing but ruin for as far as she could see. She took off running in a direction, any random direction, looking for signs of life, any signs of life, of city, of civilization. None stood and she fought back the sob in her throat, sand seeming to scratch as she did so.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She turned in a helpless circle, whipping her glasses off as they fogged up, smog clinging heavy to the lenses. She stumbled forward, vision blurred from lack of correction and the tears that streaked down her dirty cheeks. The armor that she wore was broken, heavy pieces of plating missing, telling a story of a brave soldier who fought the good fight. She couldn't remember ever being in a battle though and tried to recall who exactly that soldier was. Her knees caved and she fell to the ground, fingers landing in cold (cold?) sand. Her eyes closed as more ships polluted her sky.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Veronica?" She gasped, opening her eyes only to be greeted by the man she loved. His armor was streaked and singed with tails of lasers and fighting but he was otherwise well, uninjured and standing before her. Her fingers trembled beside her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Keith?" He smirked and her heart caught, constantly amazed by this man who could smile his way through even the grimmest of battlefields. The deep red 'V' across his chest brought her the hope of thousands, millions, before her. Help was here.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Veronica, stay with me, okay?" She frowned in confusion but pushed it aside, flinging herself into his arms as he took a knee in front of her. She released a gasp, stuttering out of her chest as he held her in his arms.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Keith, why are they back?" She whispered in his ear, the hair that fell from his ponytail tickling against her nose and neck.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Please, V, just stay with us! We're almost there!" She jumped as he exclaimed so close to her, releasing her hold on him to stare into eyes full of concern. His lips still pulled up and Veronica had never been so confused in her life. Pain blossomed from her stomach, sharp and absolute, and she felt the sticky pull of blood sinking past her armor, dripping down her stomach, her hip, her thighs. She felt it pool in her boots and felt sick.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Keith, what-Where are we? What's going on?" He shushed her, echoey and far away, and her head lolled as she fell backwards into the sand. Blood spilled beneath her and she wrinkled her nose at the concoction it mixed. Keith stood above, eyes still such a contrast.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Lance!" Veronica glanced around. It was still just the two of them. "Lance, ready a pod!" Keith's voice cracked under stress and she felt guilty, worrying him so much.</em>
</p><p>Everything was different when she finally managed to crack her eyes open. Her body was being carried jerkily through bright (too bright) hallways. She heard panted gasps above her and she tilted to see him, carrying her, nearly sprinting. Veronica allowed herself a moment to feel impressed at his strength as her body started to grow cold.</p><p>"Keith…" Her voice sounded slurred even to her own ears. A shaky hand reached up to trace over his jaw, leaving blood streaked in it's path. She frowned and he caught her hand as it began to collapse back to her chest. She worried for his gloves.</p><p>"Please, hang in there, my love. Please." The glow of his eyes wasn't the yellow that they turned in battle or the vibrant purple that seemed to illuminate in his happiest moments. No, it was pained, sad. His eyes were teared up, eyelashes wet as he tried desperately to blink them back, to swallow his emotions. She giggled, ending on a hiccupped groan as the action tightened up her chest.</p><p>"What's going on? Keith?" Lance came into her vision, running beside Keith. His hand took hers and she grinned lazily up at the men. "Lance. There's my boys," she murmured fondly and Lance's hand squeezed hers. Keith held her tighter to his body.</p><p>"Hey, sis." The younger croaked as he freely cried. "You're gonna love the healing pod. It's like a vacation." Keith hissed something under his breath and the two bickered. She giggled again. She couldn't feel the pain anymore.</p><p>"My sweet boys," she mumbled again as her head fell backwards, eyes drifting closed. The shouts above her got louder before everything went silent and black and cold.</p><p>
  <em>"Keith, where am I? What happened?" He still glanced down at her but he sat behind her now, her head rested in his lap. She twirled his hair around her finger.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"We were attacked by some rogue Galra troops that stayed behind after the war." Veronica frowned, struggling to make the connection. "Veronica," her eyes snapped back to his, "you were stabbed." She took the news surprisingly well. She simply nodded.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Okay." Keith tilted his head.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"They pinned you to the wall with the sword through your stomach. We were far out. You've lost a lot of blood. That's why we're here." She nodded again.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"And where is here?" Keith grinned and her heart fluttered. She wasn't sure if it was the intense love she felt for him or the blood loss.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Your safe place. You're body has put you into a comatose state to try and preserve yourself. You're dreaming, my love." And suddenly, it all came back to her. The fight, the drive back, Keith in the halls. My love. That's what he'd called her. She hadn't dreamed it.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She tilted her head further into his lap with a smile. "I'm in love with you, Orphan Boy." Keith's eyes, so soft as they gazed into hers, closed as if savoring the moment. The thought filled her with warmth and it was only then that she realized how cold she was. Blood loss, he'd said. Must've been a lot.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Keith, I'm not afraid of death." Her voice was steady, though her entire body trembled. "I'm not afraid but… I just don't feel ready yet. I plan on raising a family with you." His eyes widened, microscopically, but she continued. "Am I going to die, Keith?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"No." He insisted immediately. "No, I won't let you. I could never let you go now that I have you." She giggled, the affection sounding so different than how her Keith would say it. He tilted her eyes to meet his, cradled her jaw with a look so endearing, she felt like she could cry from it. "Time to wake up now, darling."</em>
</p><p>The pod hissed when it opened, shiny, Altean glass sliding open. The woman pitched forward out of the healing pod, her legs soft and shaky. Lance caught her against his shoulder. She wrapped her arms around him, turning the action into a hug. Her sweet little brother.</p><p>"Lance." Her voice was hoarse and her muscles stiff. She'd been out for a while then. "Where's…?" She felt hesitant to speak his name, knew the contention that was caused by her and Keith's relationship. Lance was her oldest little brother, so close to her their entire lives. She knew how hard it was on him for her to have another man in her life, especially when said man was one of his closest friends.</p><p>Lance's eyes were soft when he spoke, not angry or hurt or jealous in the slightest. She adored her sweet brother. "I made Keith take a break. Had to get Shiro to wrestle him out of here." He chuckled and she felt it against her cheek where she rested on his shoulder. She hated that he was taller than her. "You were in the healing pod for nearly a week and he stayed here the entire time. Wouldn't sleep. He only ate or drank when Shiro or I brought him food. He didn't want to leave you." She smiled.</p><p>"Sounds like him," she mumbled against Lance's shirt. He pushed her away from him then, his hands on her arms to steady her, but she grumbled anyways as she was pulled away from his warmth, the cold of their medbay soaking through to her bones.</p><p>"Veronica, I know I haven't taken this whole… relationship," he gritted the word and she smirked, "very well. I thought I was protecting you but… I think he could protect you better than I ever could." The trace of insecurity in his voice, in the eyes he inherited from their father, made her frown, wilt inside.</p><p>"Lance, you've never had to protect me." She whispered, her own hand coming up to grab his. "You've spent so much of your life trying to protect the people you love but I'm your older sister." She huffed a laugh. "Sweetie, it's my job to protect you and yet, you've taken it upon yourself to try and be my guardian." He let his eyes drop to the floor and Veronica wouldn't allow that. She tilted his chin up to meet her gaze again. "You've done a great job, honey. Now it's time for you to live your life and let someone else do the protecting."</p><p>"Maybe." He conceded. She grinned.</p><p>"No, absolutely." She pulled him in for another hug. "Now, help me get to the cafeteria before I eat someone's arm." Lance laughed fully then and pulled her arm up around his shoulders, his hand resting against her waist as he helped her step towards the door.</p><p>When they stepped into the hallway, Keith was there, void of his ridiculous red jacket. He looked awkward like he felt out of place.</p><p>"Oh, um, hey." Veronica lit up upon seeing him. Lance scowled.</p><p>"Keith, you know full and well you weren't allowed back in here for another varga. Don't make me tell Shiro." Keith's disposition changed then, eyes rolling as he crossed his arms and stared at Lance.</p><p>"Yeah, I'm sure Shiro would love that." He sassed back.</p><p>Lance let out a disbelieving squawk, ready to fire something back, when Veronica laughed, a small sound at first, barely a chuckle, quickly dissenting into full blown hysterics. The two men stared at her oddly. She pulled Keith into her arms, used her leverage around Lance's shoulders to pull him in too. They both tensed up and she continued to laugh in the forced embrace. Her hands ran up to their hair, ruffling Lance's and pulling Keith farther into her shoulder.</p><p>"I love you guys. My sweet boys." Maybe it was her near death experience causing the surge of fondness to run through her, maybe it was just the deep love she held for the both of them. Lance squirmed out of her arms and Keith made no move to get away from her. She pulled him in closer, wrapping him fully in her embrace. He hugged her tightly back.</p><p>"Ugh, leave me out of your lovefest." Veronica met his eyes over Keith's shoulder and her brother winked with a thumbs up before walking off in the other direction. She chuckled again as Keith pressed a kiss to her hairline.</p><p>"What's so funny?" he asked as he pulled away from her. He held onto her waist and Veronica was thankful for the steadying grip he kept on her.</p><p>"Tell you later, darling." She winked at him, reveled in the flush she still managed to pull from him, and thought vaguely of just how often they McClain's winked. Perhaps too often. She couldn't be bothered to care much. "Now, please, get me to the cafeteria!" Keith chuckled, offered her an arm in an old England-esque way that reminded her of the movies she watched as a girl, knowing it was completely unintentional on his part.</p><p>"As you wish." He mumbled, leaving Veronica to wonder if it was unintentional or not.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed it. Please be gentle with your criticism but I am open to it. In this universe, season 8 never happened. Love ya'll!!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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